Heart of Hysteria

CHAPTER TWELVE: Rematch

Theara wasn't expecting the next day of school to go smoother, neither did she think it would be that bad. Even as she stood with her friends, the foreboding atmosphere weighed on her.

"Which was very sweet of him. Then, he came over to my house and totally charmed my parents," Jemma clapped her hands rapidly, squealing while giving the account of her date with Roy.

"So am I," Roy popped up behind Jemma and circled his arms around her, planting a kiss on her cheek.

"Hey," she winked, leaning back into him. "You gonna hang out with us at lunch?"

Discomfort flickered across his face and he avoided eye contact with Theara and Lyla. "Uh, I don't know if that's the best idea, babe. You know how it is. Jake."

"Oh screw Jake," Jemma pouted. "He's not gonna miss you as much as I would."

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?" he smiled apologetically. "Sorry girls. It's just not good timing."

"You realize Jemma was speaking for herself when she said she would miss you, right?" Lyla screwed her mouth up.

"Yeah, but you'll warm up to me adventually," Roy gave Jemma a quick kiss and mumbled something to her.

"As if," Lyla rolled her eyes. Hard.

Theara shifted her weight, feeling oddly frustrated at seeing them. Roy didn't seem all that bad, but he was a sore reminder of Levi. "I need to go," she stated and made her way to her locker. Hastily she swapped books and clipped her hair back.

She zipped through the crowd and made her way to science class. The substitute teacher had been filling in for Mr. Green for a while now, and it was something she could get used to. Without looking up or around, she slipped into the class and parted a book open on her desk. Why did she always leave her homework for the last minute? It was a rotten habit.

"You have changed," a voice sounded from the front of the class. "They have ruined all my progress."

Her head snapped up. To her horror, Pierre sat behind his desk. Watching her cool and smugly. Her mouth parted, but she was speechless. She knew her charge against him crumbled, but this? She didn't expect him to be back so soon.

"You've been through some hard times. I can tell it's weighing on you. The despair shows," he observed haughtily. "Which is why I choose to forgive you and forget the charges you lay against me. I can't let your guilt consume you."

"What?" she blurted with a quality frown. Sure, she felt guilty about a dozen things but he wasn't one of them. "I don't need your forgiveness," she stood up and dropped her books into her bag. "You're the one who assaulted me!"

Students poured into the class just as the bell rang through the air. Pierre sneered. "Sit down, class," he gave Theara a pointed look that told her she was no exception.

She remained standing for a while, but sank down when the others began looking at her. She hated him with a vengeance. It took everything in her not to begin stabbing him with her books. The blunter the weapon, the better.

"Why were you gone, Mr. Green?" Ella batted her fake lashes, knowing full well why he went away.

"I took leave," he pushed a few heaps of paper around his desk idly.

The period dragged by. Every now and then, he stared at Theara, giving her the chills. She could literally feel herself turning cold. Did he notice that words had a direct effect on her?

The class was occupied with an activity, but Theara looked up and saw Levi and Isa working together on a sum. Their heads were nearly touching. She narrowed her eyes, following Isa's reaction to him. She was grinning and Levi was smirking cutely. Jealousy swamped her with a nasty feeling. She hadn't felt that before.